Y/N Potter?

Chapter 5: Friends?

The days at Hogwarts passed in a blur of classes, homework, and new experiences. By now, I was starting to settle into a routine. Quinn and I continued attending classes together, and I was slowly getting used to the rhythm of life at the castle. But something lingered at the edge of my mind—an unsettled feeling, mostly stemming from the brief but strange encounter with Draco Malfoy after Transfiguration.

I hadn't given it much thought at first, but his cold demeanor and the way his eyes lingered a little too long bothered me. Even Quinn, who was normally confident and talkative, seemed thrown off by the encounter. Still, I pushed it aside, focusing on the excitement of learning magic and navigating the new world I'd always dreamed of.

A week after our first day of classes, things took an unexpected turn.

We had just finished a long day of lessons—Charms, followed by Herbology and History of Magic—and were heading back to the Slytherin common room. The corridors were filled with students making their way through the castle, some chatting, others clutching books as they rushed off to the library. I glanced over at Quinn, who had been oddly quiet all day.

"Everything okay?" I asked, breaking the silence between us.

Quinn gave me a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, just thinking about all the work we have. It's been a lot."

I nodded, though I had a feeling something more was on her mind. We continued down the stone corridors when, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Draco Malfoy leaning against a wall, flanked as usual by his two companions, Crabbe and Goyle. He wasn't alone this time. A group of older Slytherins stood nearby, deep in conversation, though they all seemed to gravitate toward Draco like he was the center of their world.

"Great," Quinn muttered under her breath as we approached. "Not him again."

Draco's gaze locked onto us as we passed. He pushed himself off the wall and stepped forward, blocking our path. Quinn stiffened beside me, her hand tightening around the strap of her bag.

"Y/N," Draco drawled, a slow smirk tugging at his lips. "You're settling in nicely, I see. Already making a name for yourself?"

I frowned, unsure of what he meant. "Just trying to get through classes like everyone else."

Crabbe and Goyle snickered behind him, but Draco's eyes remained fixed on me. There was something calculating in his gaze, something I couldn't quite place.

"You should be careful," he said, his voice low and pointed. "Not everyone here is as friendly as they seem. It's easy to fall in with the wrong crowd."

I exchanged a glance with Quinn, who was glaring at Draco with open disdain. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, my patience wearing thin.

Draco shrugged, but his smirk didn't waver. "Just a bit of advice. Hogwarts can be... tricky. You'd do well to remember that."

Before I could respond, he turned and walked away, his followers trailing behind him. I stood there, my heart racing, trying to make sense of the encounter.

"What a git," Quinn spat, her face flushed with anger. "He acts like he owns the place."

I nodded, still feeling unsettled by his cryptic warning. "Yeah, I don't like him."

We made our way to the common room in silence, both of us lost in thought. Draco's words echoed in my mind, and though I didn't want to admit it, they left me feeling uneasy. Was he trying to warn me? Or was it just another one of his games? Either way, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was brewing beneath the surface.

Later that evening, I sat in the common room with my books spread out in front of me, attempting to focus on my homework. Quinn had gone to bed early, claiming she was too tired to study, and the room had gradually emptied as students retired for the night. I was grateful for the quiet, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Draco. There was something about him—something I couldn't quite understand.

Just as I began to lose myself in my reading, the common room door creaked open. I glanced up, half-expecting to see one of the prefects doing a final check before bed, but instead, Draco stepped inside, alone this time.

He spotted me immediately and walked over, his footsteps eerily silent on the stone floor. I straightened in my seat, unsure whether to feel alarmed or annoyed by his sudden appearance.

"You're still up," he said casually, as though we were old friends.

"I'm studying," I replied, my voice sharper than I intended.

He didn't seem fazed. Instead, he dropped into the chair opposite me, his eyes scanning the open books in front of me before returning to my face. For a moment, neither of us spoke, and I fought the urge to look away under his steady gaze.

"You're different," Draco said suddenly, breaking the silence. His tone wasn't mocking, but there was a strange intensity in his voice.

"Different how?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "You're not like the others. You don't care about fitting in, do you?"

I frowned, unsure of where this conversation was going. "I'm just here to learn."

Draco tilted his head, considering me for a moment before he spoke again. "You'll find that people here aren't always what they seem. Friends can be... temporary."

Something in his voice made my skin crawl. It was as if he was speaking from experience, but I wasn't about to let him rattle me.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest defensively.

Draco's lips curled into a smirk, but this time, it felt more like a mask than a genuine expression. "Just remember what I said. Be careful who you trust."

With that, he stood up and left, leaving me alone in the dimly lit common room. The uneasy feeling that had been creeping up on me since our first encounter now felt like a weight pressing down on my chest.

I stared at the door long after he had gone, trying to shake the feeling that Draco Malfoy was more dangerous than I had originally thought.

I headed to bed a little while after Draco had left.